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A Louisville housing advocacy group is launching a research effort to examine how an aspect of the foreclosure process may impact the city’s stock of vacant properties.

The Metropolitan Housing Coalition will investigate what happens to property deeds as a foreclosure progresses.

Cathy Hinko, executive director of the coalition, said with no specific law or policy requiring deeds to be transferred within a certain timeframe, some properties may never officially transfer from one party to another despite being foreclosed upon. This can lead to former property owners being left to foot the bill for code violations or lingering utility bills incurred after they’ve relinquished control over the property, she said.

It can also leave properties in limbo, with no dedicated owner willing to maintain structures or trim grass, Hinko added.

She said concerns about this process have been perpetually voiced at housing advocacy group meetings. So in response, her group will begin looking at past foreclosure sales to see what happened to the deeds of sold properties.

Hinko recently spoke with WFPL News about the research project, which she hopes to have completed in the coming months. Listen in the audio player above.